Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Hearty Vegetarian Tofu Chili
Ingredients
Directions
Saute the first four ingredients in medium heat.
Add tofu and saute until crisp and lightly browned for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients: beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, and chili powder.
Boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 to 55 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Kidney Bean | 1/2 cup canned (128g) drained | 112 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Red Kidney Bean | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,539 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Garlic + olivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Extra firm tofu
- Crumbled tofu browns and crisps in the pan, adding chewy texture and savory bulk to the chili.
- Red kidney beans
- Hold their shape during simmering, adding body and substance to the chili.
- Diced tomatoes
- Break down during simmering to form the liquid base and add acidity.
- Carrots
- Soften during the long simmer, adding mild sweetness and body.
- Chili powder
- Provides the main spice flavor and aroma of the chili.
The step that matters
Browning the tofu. Tofu holds a lot of water, so it must be sauteed until crisp and lightly browned before the liquids are added. Browning drives off moisture and builds flavor through the Maillard reaction; otherwise the tofu stays soft and bland.
Swap the kidney beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, pepper, clove, garlic, olive, tofu, tomato):
- Chickpeafits better
- Beansfits better
- Sesamefits better
- Kidney beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, pepper, clove, garlic, olive, tofu, tomato. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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